The Reward is in the Claim
by amelias-nature
Summary: When Finn and Kurt are both designated as breeders society gets in the way of either of them ever finding happiness. Even when Karofsky comes to the rescue there are still hurdles to jump. Will Karofsky be able to help them all find the happiness they deserve?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is or an old kink meme prompt that had a few specifics. I might have gotten a little lazy in explaining them so I'll include some of the prompt in a note at the end of this chapter that explains some of the details I probably skim over. But if that doesn't help clarify anything then let me know.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Problems

Kurt was sure to close the front door quietly as he hurriedly followed Finn into the house. They'd slammed the door a few too many times and Kurt's dad was really starting to get annoyed by it. Finn let out a sigh of relief, knowing that those men couldn't get into the house without pissing off Burt. He was about to walk up the stairs to collapse in his room when Kurt stopped him with a hand on his arm.

Finn was about to snap out a sharp "What?" when he heard it, the murmuring in the kitchen. Nodding in understanding Finn followed his brother to the door and they shamelessly listened in.

"We've done everything we can do, Carole," said Burt. "It's out of our hands."

"But one of them could be taken away. I won't let that happen. I love them too much." Carole sounded close to tears.

"You don't know that. We're both here for them. The government has no reason to take either of them away."

"They're _both_ breeders, Burt. If neither one of them gets claimed soon," she gasped, choking on a sob. "People are starting to say that all breeders should be in government care, whether or not they have two parents. I'm not loosing my son this way. _Our_ _sons_."

"Then we can only hope that one of them will be claimed. Both if we're all lucky. Don't worry, I won't let anything bad happen to them. Not while they live under my roof."

Finn couldn't listen to anymore and rushed up the stairs to his room. It had been hard since their designation, but luckily no one was really able to try anything at school. It was mostly the trips to and from that were terrible. But Finn had no idea it seemed to be getting so bad.

He was staring at the ceiling, just trying to think when Kurt came in, paler than usual.

"Dad's going to run for congress," Kurt murmured. "He said he wants to get laws passed."

Finn sat up and stared, "You talked to him?"

Shaking his head, Kurt sat on the end of the bed. "I just listened longer. I'm worried about him, Finn. I'm not sure his heart can take this. I mean, he went into a coma after he found out my designation. What would happen if I actually got taken away?"

"Kurt, you know his heart attack was completely unrelated to you," Finn tried to comfort his brother, but it didn't work.

"Not directly, but I'm a breeder, Finn. That causes him stress and stress is bad for his heart. I just want to be able to do something to take all of this away from him."

Finn sighed and shrugged. "I don't know Kurt."

"What if he wins the congress election?" Kurt seemed to perk up a bit. "You think he'll be able to get laws passed to protect us?"

"Of course Burt can get laws passed. He's freakin' awesome. But it's still the government. It could take years before anything goes through."

"He said it was out of their hands. What do you think he meant?"

Again Finn shrugged, dropping back on the bed and sighing. "I think it means we need to find a Dom to claim us. At least one of us. Maybe with only one breeder in the house, we'll have a better chance of staying together."

"Yeah… maybe." Kurt just sighed, leaving to go to his own room.

* * *

That Thursday, Finn was so distracted because he still couldn't think of anything to do that he didn't notice he was alone in the weight room. Usually he stayed through his free period, only going out into the busier hall when it got too quiet. Today however, he just didn't notice.

At least, not until he was being dragged to a wall and found himself face to face with Strando.

"Damn boy, I thought you'd never be alone," Strando was saying. "I've been tryin' to tap that for months."

Finn swallowed, trying to struggle, but was a little torn. If they were in a public area, he probably wouldn't have much help, this kind of thing being allowed all the time. But this was the school. Students weren't supposed to use breeders during school hours, but that rule was often ignored if a breeder was by himself.

Just like Finn was now. He was so caught up in whether or not he should try and fight that he lost his best chance to get away and suddenly found himself pushed against the wall, gym shorts around his ankles.

"You're quieter than I expected," Strando said, and Finn could hear the zipper as the boy opened his own pants. "I wouldn't have minded a bit of whining, but at least this way we're less likely to be caught."

Finn tried to push off the wall and hoped the momentum would get Strando off of him. Unfortunately Strando was using all of his weight to keep Finn in place. "Dude, just get off me," he grunted, starting to struggle a bit more.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Strando gave an extra hard shove, shocking Finn into another momentary submission. "I don't think breeders are allowed to give orders."

Finn closed his eyes, trying to figure out what to do, when he felt cool air hit his ass, and he knew it was too late. There was a rough slap against his skin, and he just barely managed to bite back a yell, knowing Strando would like it more. Just as Finn was resigning himself to being used, hearing the crude sound of a loogie being spat into a hand, the weight was gone.

It took him a moment to react, but as soon as Finn realized he was free he was straightening his boxers and pulling up his gym shorts. But he kept his back to the others, really not wanting to deal with people right then.

"Man, you could get suspended for using a breeder on school property," came a familiar voice.

"Dude, nobody was around to see," Strando defended.

"I heard Sylvester was headed this way. Just get out of here, I'll cover for ya."

"Fine, but don't even think about samplin' the goods. I saw him first."

"Yeah, whatever. Get goin'."

Finn didn't relax until he heard Strando turn the corner. Even then, he didn't turn around, a little afraid of what might happen next and just wanting to be left alone. However, when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder he jumped, spinning around.

"Karofsky?"

Said boy was stepping back, hands up in an all-clear gesture. "Yeah man, you okay? He didn't do anything?"

Finn blushed, wondering if Dave knew just how close he had been to being used. "Um, he didn't do anything. You managed to pull him off before any of… that."

Dave nodded, and glanced around. It was a little awkward because, since Finn had been designated, only his glee club friends were talking to him. Despite his quarterback status, which he would get to keep through graduation, all of the jocks who had been designated with the black bracelet of a Dom stopped talking to Finn. And now Finn wondered if Dave had stopped not because of Finn's red bracelet, but because he just wanted to fit in.

"Is Sylvester really coming?" Finn asked, curious about Dave glancing over his shoulder.

Dave gave a small grin, "Nope. Just didn't know any other way to get rid of him." He finally calmed down a bit, relaxing completely and smiling openly at Finn. "You never deleted my number from your phone, did you?"

"No," Finn answered slowly, not sure why it mattered.

"Good. You can call me whenever you need me, okay? You're still my friend. I'm not abandoning you just because of a little bracelet."

Finn smiled weakly, and nodded. "It's because the bracelet's red, not that it exists."

"Yeah, well, I don't care what people around here think of me. Unfortunately, the rest of the world does, and I don't have the social status to pull off the screw-your-opinion vibe." Dave looked like he was about to say something else when a junior walked in, he had a green bracelet, but Dave sighed anyways, subs tended to brown nose when it came to jocks with black bracelets. "Remember what I told you," he said, backing towards the door, "Any time."

It was an innocent enough offer, and Finn didn't think much of it, deciding to keep it at the back of his mind as a security blanket. But it was only two days before Finn had to make a call.

* * *

A/N: In a world where everyone is designated as a Dom or sub on their sixteenth birthday, there's also male subs who can get pregnant, breeders. A Dom wears a black bracelet, a sub wears a green one, and a breeder wears a bright red bracelet. No male Doms can get pregnant, you're automatically a sub even if your test says Dom. Breeders have almost no rights. They're seen more as breeding tools than subs and a Dom doesn't have to enter a claim with one to have sex with him so anyone with a red bracelets is always terrified if not in a claim. The only way to protect a red bracelet is by claiming them and giving them a blue 'claimed' bracelet to join their red one.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - S.O.S.

Saturday mornings everyone tended to sleep in, unless there were special plans, but usually the family dinner mentality of Friday nights spilled over into the next morning and they all left it clear. This particular Saturday, Finn was the first one up. He had commandeered the TV for cartoons and everyone decided to stay in bed to let him enjoy.

Phineas & Ferb had just started when there was a knock at the door. Immediately, Finn felt apprehension wash over him, but he managed to shake himself out of it when there was a second, more insistent knocking.

He decided to keep the screen door closed when he saw two men in sunglasses and suits. One was tall, a good six inches taller than Finn, and he kept his light hair long and his short arms thick with strength. The other was about Finn's height, his black hair cut in such a way that Finn was reminded of a chia pet.

They saw his bracelet and smirked before the chia pet spoke. "Your parents home?" he asked.

Finn frowned at the almost rude question. "Yes. Can I help you?"

"We need to talk to your parents," Chia replied.

Finn considered asking for some sort of ID because he could tell that these guys were probably from some government agency, but he also could tell they wouldn't show _him_ their IDs. Sighing, he said, "I'll go wake them up," hoping they'd at least look a little sorry when Burt got to the door. Closing the door, Finn was sure to lock it so they knew they weren't yet welcome.

As he passed his room, he darted in and grabbed his cell phone and then went to Kurt's room. Usually he had to knock, and if he didn't hear a reply he was supposed to walk away. However, Finn was fueled by a subconscious urgency that only allowed him to give a courtesy knock before stepping in. At least he was quiet.

Kurt groaned and rolled over, facing his brother. "Finn, let me sleep. I stayed up late last night talking to dad."

Nodding, Finn decided to wake his mom first, knowing Burt could lash out if Finn nudged him too much. "I'm sorry. But I need you to call Dave."

"Who's Dave?" Kurt asked, pulling the cover above his head.

"Karofsky. The senior right guard from football."

Kurt perked up a bit at that. He'd liked Dave. He hadn't shunned his underclassmen friends (like Finn) when he was designated. He'd waited until they were all designated before passing judgment. Then he remembered how hurt Finn had been that first time Dave had turned away from him at the lunch table, sending a smirking glare at Finn's red bracelet.

"Why would _I_ call _Karofsky_ for _you_?" Kurt grumbled, back to wanting to sleep.

"He told me to call if I needed anything," Finn said, going forward and pressing his phone into Kurt's hand. "Please, I need to wake up mom and Burt. There are some government guys here to talk to them."

That got Kurt up and Finn could tell he was about to get out of bed and stopped him.

"Just stay in here, Kurt," Finn begged, already backing towards the door. "I have a bad feeling about this, and I think it'd be better if you were at a friend's house." Then he left, hurrying towards their parents' room.

Burt grumbled when he heard Finn walk in, and Finn apologized to the light sleeper before going to his mom's side of the bed. He gently shook her shoulder, and quietly mentioned that there were two government guys waiting on the porch to talk to them.

As soon as Burt heard the word 'government' he was up and out of bed, grumbling about the government's terrible timing with _everything_ as he pulled a pair of sweats over his boxers and t-shirt over his head.

Carole wasn't too far behind, but she was calmer and more worried as she pulled a robe around her body. "Did they say anything specific, sweety?" she asked as they walked down the hallway towards the stairs.

"They didn't even identify themselves," explained Finn, "I just kinda assumed by the way they were dressed."

Burt gave a little grumble, but Finn wasn't sure if it was at him or just the idea of the men not identifying themselves. They came to the door and Burt unlocked it, nodding at Finn that he'd done the right thing. He too, left the screen door closed. "Can I help you two?" he asked as soon as the door was out of the way.

"Well, we thought we'd have to break the door down," said Chia, "Glad to see we don't."

"You got a warrant or something? What do you want?" Burt was not going to pretend to be nice to these guys. He'd woken too early on a Saturday for that.

"And who are you?" Carole put in, sounding a hundred times more polite than Finn thought she should be.

"Agents Cooper and Smithson," said Chia pointing to himself then his partner. They each showed their badges and waited.

"And what do you want?" asked Burt, not moving and sounding even more annoyed.

"We're from the Office of Breeder Custody," said Cooper, before nodding to Finn, "We'd like to talk to you about your sons. I assume he's one. Where's the other?"

"At a friend's house," Finn said quickly, hoping Kurt was already on the phone.

"What about my sons?" Burt asked.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - The Rescue

Kurt wasn't sure why he was calling. Though it probably had to do with the desperate gleam in Finn's eyes when he pushed the phone into his hands. Sighing, he scrolled until he found Dave, not Karofsky Kurt noted, and pressed call.

It sounded like it was about to go to voicemail when there was a grunted and confused, "What?"

"Karofsky?" Kurt rolled his eyes at himself, hating how nervous he sounded. "Um, I mean, Dave?"

"Yeah?" He still sounded a little confused, though clearly more awake.

"Um… Finn told me to call you. I don't know why though."

"Is everything okay?"

For some reason, hearing the worry in Dave's voice caused Kurt to start worrying too. "I don't think so, but," he paused and he could hear the sound of the front door being opened. "He said there were some government men here to talk to Dad and Carole."

"Okay," Dave sounded a bit calmer now, but there was some rustling that Kurt assumed was the boy getting out of bed. "Can you get close enough to hear what they're talking about?"

"Yeah, just a second," Kurt replied, quietly opening up his bedroom door. He walked to the top of the stairs, peeking down just as Burt stepped onto the porch. The door stayed open, Finn standing in the way of it. "They just went outside," Kurt told Dave, "I won't be able to hear anything without being seen."

"Shoot," Dave sounded distracted and the next words were spoken to his dad. "Dad, wake up. I need your help with something important."

Kurt was about to ask if there was something he could do when he heard Burt's yell quite clearly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO TAKE AWAY MY SON?"

Gasping, Kurt ran back to his room, slamming the door shut as he felt the tears coming. "D-did you h-hear that?" he whispered, desperately trying to keep it together.

"Yeah," Dave replied, "Just hold on one second." There was more muffled talking at the other end, but Kurt wasn't sure if Dave had covered the mic or if it was the blood rushing through his head. Finally, Dave spoke to him, voice completely calm. "Okay Kurt, I need you to get dressed in your nice clothes. Just, anything nice, but not like a tux or anything. Then I need you to try and get Finn and your parents to do the same. If they can't get away, don't worry. We'll deal with it when I get there."

"Get here?"

"Don't worry Kurt, no one's being taken from anywhere. If you need me at all just call or text, but I have a few things I need to do."

"O-okay." Then the phone went silent and Kurt dropped it to his bed. He wasn't sure how long he sat there, but it definitely took him a few minutes before he could make himself get dressed.

He didn't like the idea of not going through his entire shower and skin care routine, but this was a time sensitive situation. Sighing, he pushed away his tears and went to his closet. There he changed into a pair of black slacks, a peridot green, button up shirt, and a dark grey vest. Nice, but simple. He couldn't bring himself to wear anything more… _him_ on such a heavy day.

Taking a deep breath and hoping his face didn't look too terrible, he slowly walked down the stairs. They were in the living room now, Burt was practically red in the face and Carole was in tears. Something about this seemed off and Kurt stayed back listening in a moment.

"For the last time, Mr. Hummel, because he isn't your biological son, we consider it to be selfish to keep him to yourself. We can assume you won't use your own son, but not him."

Kurt bit his lip, so they wanted to take _Finn_ away? That would explain Carole's wale as the man finished speaking.

"But he's _her_ son!" Burt yelled. "Why can't he stay under _her_ care?"

"She can't get him pregnant, can she?"

Burt's only reply was a low growl and Kurt could see the men smile as if they'd won. Which they had. And Kurt could feel the tears coming again, he and Finn had grown close in the year they'd been brothers. He didn't want to say goodbye like this.

Pulling out Finn's phone, he sent Dave a quick text to let him know it was Finn being taken, not Kurt. Then he was about to step into the living room when he saw Finn, huddled on the floor in the corner by the door. He was hugging his knees, staring blankly ahead.

Going over to him, Kurt knelt down, placing a gentle hand on the taller boy's knee. It was strange, how small Finn felt beneath his touch. This wasn't right. "Finn, are you okay?" It was stupid question, but it was the first thing that came out of Kurt's mouth.

"They want to take me away."

"I heard," Kurt whispered, wiping away a tear. "I called Dave. He said we all need to get dressed nicely. Can you do that?"

Finn looked up, eyes completely blank. "What?"

Biting his lip, Kurt looked straight into Finn's eyes and instructed him, "Go to your room. Then change into one of the glee club outfits. But if it has glitter, don't put it on. Do you understand that?"

"Yes," Finn said slowly. He looked back to the wall though, face still blank. "Why?"

"Because Dave said so, and he's coming over soon. He has something planned."

The mention of Dave seemed to pull Finn out of his haze enough for him to nod and stand. Kurt waited until the boy was in his room before heading back towards the living room.

"Now, unfortunately there is a bit of paperwork you'll have to sign."

" _You_ want to take away our kid, and you want _us_ to do the paperwork for you?" asked Burt, his anger seeming to dissipate as the realization that he couldn't stop this was sinking in.

"We have to fill everything out still. You just have to make sure it's all correct and sign."

"Fine," sighed Burt, reaching out a hand for said papers.

"Dad?" Kurt's voice was small, feeling like a little kid again. Like that day he found out his mother wouldn't live for more than a few more months.

"Oh Kurt," cried Carole, somehow knowing Kurt had heard.

"Uh, Kurt! What are you doing here? I thought you were at Brittany's house." Burt sounded surprised, and it was enough to remind Kurt of what Finn had decided to tell the agents.

"Lord Tubbington had a family emergency, Brittany's dad dropped me off on the way to Santana's house. I tried calling but no one answered."

That seemed to be enough for Burt, even though the agents looked completely confused.

"Ahem," said the shorter agent, "Well, if you'll just look over these and sign."

Burt turned back to the papers, glancing through before looking at Carole. "We both have to sign. Why don't you go help Finn pack? I'll let you know when I'm done."

Nodding, Carole stood and Kurt followed, stopping her in the hall. "Get dressed in something nice. David Karofsky is coming over. He has something planned, but he hasn't told me what."

Carole managed to give a sad smile through her tears. "He's such a nice boy," she whispered before breaking down again and hurrying up to her room.

While Kurt waited to see if they managed to get dressed or not, he went into the kitchen where he started to make coffee. Because apparently, coffee was the one thing he could make without having to think. He was just pouring a mug of it when his dad walked in.

"Hey, Kurt," he said, anger completely gone. Though Kurt was pretty sure it would come back later when he had processed the events on his own. "Where's Carole and Finn? They still packing?"

"They're getting dressed," Kurt said, adding some sugar and cream. "You should too. Dave'll be here any minute." He could tell his dad was confused, even without looking or hearing anything from the man. So he just gave his best exaggerated sigh (he hoped his Dom would let him become an actor one day) and said, "If Carole finds out that you forgot _again_ , then you'll be sleeping on the couch."

Apparently Burt understood the little message because he left the room and went up the stairs, hopefully asking Carole for what little she knew.

A few minutes later Carole walked in, some papers in her hands and set them on the dining table. Sighing, she poured herself a mug of coffee before sitting and staring at the papers she was supposed to sign. She looked very nice, wearing a black dress with white polka dots and red heals. Kurt couldn't help but smile at how much her fashion had changed since he started going shopping with her. Though it was still her own, she refused to let Kurt dress her, though she gladly accepted his input.

Before Carole could even convince herself to pick up the pen, there was some shuffling noises from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs. Kurt was just standing when there was a, "Hey, let go!" from Finn. Carole was out before Kurt could even register what that meant.

Rushing out after her, Kurt saw that the large agent was now holding Finn, hands behind the teen's back and the talking agent was sneering.

"What's going on?" Carole asked, anger clear in her voice. They still had no right to touch her son.

"Nothing," said Agent Cooper, "We just wanted him to come to the car. He refused."

"I wanted to say goodbye to my mom!" Finn cried, a little panicked.

Carole glared. "Let go of my son," she warned.

Agent Cooper was about to argue when Burt came back down the stairs in one of his suites, growling low. "You let go, or I'll exercise my right to kick you out of my house."

Agent Smithson released Finn immediately. Almost at the exact same time the doorbell rang. Carole was closest, so she answered quickly, expecting to send the person away, but instead she was faced with David Karofsky and his father. Stepping back she let them in, giving a sad smile.

Finn had always thought that he filled a doorway, but it was nothing compared to Dave. Dave may have been a few inches shorter than Finn, but he was wider. And right now he was sort of puffed up, clearly confident with himself. Then again, Dave had nothing on his dad, who may have been the same height, but he'd definitely had more time to work on his intimidation skills.

Dave glanced around and grinned, giving off a completely relaxed vibe. "Great, you're all ready," he said. "We don't want to be late to our claiming ceremony."

"Claiming ceremony?" Agent Cooper asked.

Finn was relieved it had been him, that way nobody that "was supposed to know" revealed the truth.

"Yeah," said Dave, "I'm supposed to be taking Finn down to City Hall today. He's letting me claim him." Dave reached out, his knuckles gently brushing over Finn's cheek.

Finn was sure he looked surprised, but he kept his back to the agents and instead just gave Dave a grateful smile. "I forgot what time it was at?"

"Course you did," Dave chuckled, happy to see Finn was agreeing to go along with it.

"Why didn't you tell us your son was being claimed today?" Agent Cooper asked Carole.

"He was going to continue living with us until his graduation," Carole explained, grinning a little towards the Karofsky men, "We didn't know it mattered."

Cooper sighed, running a hand over his face. "Well, it does. The government isn't allowed to have custody of a claimed breeder. And now that you've signed the paperwork, we'll need to go to the office and get more paperwork for his Dom to sign to release him."

"How long will that take?" Dave asked.

"A few hours if we're lucky."

"Well, the ceremony is in a little under an hour," said Dave. "Maybe by the time it's over you'll have something for me to sign."

Agent Cooper shook his head. "It doesn't work that way kid. Everything's gotta happen in a certain order. You do the ceremony before we do the papers and the whole thing is void. It's a total mess."

Paul opened his mouth to speak when Carole chimed in, almost sounding exactly like her old self. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing I haven't signed the papers yet. How about we just shred them, you boys can go home, and our families can go to City Hall."

There was silence for a bit, but eventually Cooper nodded his head. "Fine."

Burt clapped his hands, heading into the kitchen to grab the papers to shred in his office.

As they waited, Kurt handed Finn his phone, missing the look Smithson gave him. Dave stepped closer to Finn, putting an arm around his shoulder and giving a squeeze. It was meant to be supportive and reassuring, but hopefully the agents saw it as protective or possessive. Not that Dave didn't feel any of those things towards Finn.

It wasn't long before Burt came back, handing the men a bag of shredded paper. "There you go, your precious papers. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have a ceremony to get to."

The agents frowned, but nodded and walked out the door. As soon as the screen clacked behind them Paul spoke.

"Well, if we take too much longer we will be late. Dave, you go with Finn in Kurt's car. I'll take Burt and Carole. We'll fill you in on the way to central hall."

There were no objections and soon they were all on their way towards town.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The Claim

Kurt drove, Finn riding shotgun with Dave behind the driver's seat. They were silent for quite some time, no one knowing where to start.

Finn managed to break the silence first. "Thanks Dave," he mumbled, "I'm sorry you have to claim me because of all of this."

Kurt glanced in his rearview mirror to see Dave giving Finn one of the most adoring looks he'd ever seen. Finn was staring out at the road so he missed it, but Kurt didn't say anything. It would be better for both of the jocks to discover things on their own.

"I told you to call me, Finn," said Dave. "This is what I wanted you to do. Believe me though, the only thing that bothers me is that you've had little to no say in all of this."

"Still, thank you…" Finn glanced back, hesitating a moment before adding, "Master," in a very soft voice.

Dave chuckled. "You don't have to call me that, Finn. I just want your respect. If you give me that, then you won't have to call me anything other than Dave."

"Unless you're in public," pointed out Kurt. "Some of the older places consider anything other than Master to be insubordinate."

"I don't plan on going to many of those places," scowled Dave, though his glare was aimed out the window, allowing Kurt to relax a little.

"So how is this going to work?" asked Finn, sensing the tension in Dave and hoping to distract him a bit. Though admittedly this probably wasn't the best way.

"I'll claim you. Then you'll be able to stay at home until you graduate. But you're welcome to stay over whenever you want. College depends on where we get in, but that's more than a year from now, so we have time to work things out." Dave looked back up, catching Finn's eye. "Nothing much should change. But I'll be able to hang out with you at school again without worrying what others may say."

"You're being awfully considerate of Finn," Kurt observed. "Not many doms seem to care about us breeders."

"That's because they don't know what's good for them."

"What do you mean?"

"My aunt was friends with a breeder. He was claimed by a forceful Dom. He thought he'd be safe, protected. But his Dom never used him. He sold him to be used by others." Dave took a deep breath before continuing with a soft, "He killed himself because he didn't know whose kid he was carrying."

Kurt swallowed. He really wished there was a way to choose his fate, because now he really wanted to change it. But he couldn't help saying, "Not all Doms are like that."

"No," Dave sighed, "I'm not, my dad's not. I'm pretty sure most of his employees aren't. But there's really no telling. Unfortunately, breeders don't usually have time to date and find someone they love to claim them. They usually accept the first kind man. And there are so many out there that know exactly what to say to win over a breeder."

Dave looked up at them again and saw Finn's pale face and the way Kurt gripped the steering wheel. "Fuck, I'm sorry guys. I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure my dad tells me that stuff so I don't turn out like that. I've got you, Finn, so you'll be fine. And Kurt, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone perfect."

An awkward silence fell over the inside of the car and Kurt eventually turned the radio on low, though that didn't seem to help. Finally though, central hall came into view and Finn spoke once more.

"So what does a claiming ceremony entail?"

There were different kinds, depending on the nature of the claim. Some couples even came up with their own ideas to give meaning to the standard traditions. But claiming a breeder was always the same. And for some reason they weren't allowed to know before the ceremony.

Dave swallowed. "Just do what you're told and you'll be fine. It's nothing too big. But unfortunately it's required."

Kurt didn't like the sound of that, but he couldn't say anything because they were pulling in and he could see their parents getting out of Paul's car, waiting for them.

* * *

Finn stood beside Dave at the clerk's desk, waiting for the man to show up. He didn't like how Kurt couldn't watch, but at the same time, a part of him was relieved. Breeders weren't allowed to talk about what happens, but Finn had the feeling he wouldn't really want to.

They all stood silently as the clerk walked in, frowning a bit. Finn was about to say something – even if he wasn't sure what – but Dave's hand on his arm stopped him.

"Thank you for squeezing us into your tight schedule, Peter," Paul said, pulling out an envelope. "I already got the papers. All you have to do is listen to their claims and sign."

"Unfortunately," said Peter looking at the papers, "There has been a last minute flag on this claim."

"What kind of flag?" asked Paul, taking a step forward.

"A mandatory binding flag."

Dave looked to his dad for clarification.

"But we already have arrangements made for Finn through graduation," argued Paul, "Why would they need the binding?"

"I don't know why," grumbled Peter, "All I know is that you have to go through the whole official ceremony and then he is not allowed to come in contact with any Dom other than his own for six months."

"What?!" It was Carole, Burt practically holding her back.

"He needs to graduate high school," argued Burt, "He can't be hidden away for six months."

"There are submissive tutors you can hire after three months. This isn't the end of the world for any of you." Peter sighed, pulling out some cuffs with a matching collar. "Now, since we have to do the whole ceremony we need to get started or else you'll put me behind for the day." He held out the pieces of leather, but Dave shook his head.

"I have my own," he mumbled, pulling out his own, much nicer looking, cuffs and collar. Turning to Finn he swallowed, not making eye contact. "Take off your shirt," he ordered, his confident tone contradicting his uncomfortable body language.

Finn barely hesitated. He'd promised to do as he was told, and pretty soon he wouldn't have a choice in whether he could obey Dave or not. Quickly removing his shirt, he handed it to his mom to keep them from getting wrinkled (it was this years Nationals outfit and Kurt would kill him if they ended up wrinkled). Then he stood, chin to his chest, eyes on the floor, waiting for something else.

"On your knees," said Dave, and Finn could tell, just by the set of his legs that Dave seemed to relax when Finn so readily submitted to him.

Dropping to his knees, Finn felt a hand on his chin and he looked up into the grateful eyes of Dave Karofsky.

"Wonderful," came the voice of Peter, sounding almost happy. "I, Peter Williams, reside over the claiming of this Breeder by David Paul Karofksy. David? You had your own declaration?"

Dave nodded, glad he'd managed to prepare this last minute. Taking the collar he carefully wrapped it around Finn's neck and fastened it as he said, "I claim you, Finn Hudson, as mine." Holding out a hand, he silently ordered for Finn to present his wrists and grinned when the boy did so. Placing one cuff on, Dave spoke, "I promise to protect you," he put the other cuff on, "I promise to care for you."

Then his father handed him the extra leather strap that Dave was quick to attach to the cuffs. "I promise to love you as I will love our children and never forget my claim."

Finn didn't know what to say to all that. He'd almost expected the protection, and even a bit of caring (Dave always was really nice to everyone) but he never expected a proclamation of love. Luckily, Finn didn't have to say anything, because the clerk was speaking to him.

"Do you submit to this proclamation?"

"I… yes," stumbled Finn, not sure if 'I do' was really appropriate.

"Do you promise to submit to his wants and needs for as long as he will have you?"

"Yes," Finn repeated despite not really knowing what was going on.

He felt a hand in his hair and looked up again, catching Dave's gaze and grinning a little. But his grin faded when he saw the guilt in Dave's eyes.

"Well then?" came Peter's voice, rather annoyed. "Promise your obedience so I can finish this up here.

Finn had no idea what to do. He could feel Dave putting pressure on his head, and immediately gave in. He was not expecting to be practically shoved into Dave's crotch.

"Out loud," Dave whispered, a pained twinge in his voice.

Finn had never felt so humiliated in his life. After all, his mom was watching all this. So was Burt. And now he understood why breeders weren't allowed to know about this. Finn was pretty sure he would have opted to go with the government if he had to choose this in order to get out of it.

But it was too late to turn back now. "I promise to obey," he mumbled, feeling Dave's cock beneath his lips and the fabric of the boy's pants. He gasped when he felt it hardening slightly. "I promise to obey your every word," he stated, a bit more clearly this time. Then he added, "Thank you for your protection," before dropping a soft kiss to Dave's crotch.

Dave loosened his grip as soon as he felt the increased pressure of the kiss, taking half a step back to let Finn know that he was allowed to get up again.

Peter clapped his hands, grabbing the attention of everyone present. "Well, then, I now pronounce you Claimed," he said towards Finn. Then he bent to sign the papers and handed them to Dave. "Congratulations."

Dave took the papers, but his smile was small and clearly forced.

Peter seemed to ignore any unhappiness as he breezed out of the office. "See you Monday, Paul."

They all stood in silence, soaking in the humiliation ceremony that had just taken place under the disguise of a claiming. Dave was the first to snap out of it, gently helping Finn to his feet and reaching out to Carole for the clothes.

Paul stopped the exchange, sighing quietly. "I'm sorry, Dave, but until he gets his new bracelet he needs to remained shirtless and bound. Otherwise he'll be assumed to be unclaimed."

Dave groaned, "But he's not allowed to meet anyone who's a Dom for another six months. Why does it matter?"

"It matters because if you do anything that hints that you both didn't choose this, then you'll be separated on the grounds of you being selfish," growled Paul. "Now, let him say goodbye to his family and bring him to the car. I'll be waiting out there."

Dave turned to Carole and Burt, giving them a sad smile. "I'd leave, but I don't think I can." He stepped as far back as he could. "I'm sorry. Take your time."

Finn was shaking Burt's hand when the man pulled him into a hug. Dave grinned, enjoying the moment of a "soft" Burt Hummel. There would be very few others who'd get to see this. But when Finn turned to his mom, Dave looked away. This wasn't a permanent goodbye, but it sure felt like one. Who knew what could happen in six months.

The door opened next to Dave and Kurt stepped in, confused, both to Finn's "apparel" and the tears.

Dave just smiled. "You'll be able to see him more often."

"What?"

"Mandatory binding," explained Dave. "No other Doms for six months. No subs or breeders for three."

"What?"

Finn heard Kurt and walked over to him, draping his bound wrists around him and hugging him close. "I'll call," whispered Finn, "I promise."

"I don't understand why you have to leave," whispered Kurt. "I don't want to loose my brother."

Finn smiled, Kurt rarely called him his brother. "You won't loose me. I said I'd call and you'll be able to visit me eventually. I'm not going forever."

Kurt just hugged him back before stepping away, ducking under Finn's arms. "You should go. There's some people outside waiting for the room to be free."

Finn nodded, giving one more final wave to his mom before following Dave out the door. It was embarrassing, walking through the corridors of Central Hall without a shirt and lightly bound, but Dave kept him close and Finn felt fully protected by the boy.

The trip to the Karofsky's house was quiet, Finn sitting in back by himself. He still wasn't sure if he liked that or not. It wasn't until they were in Dave's room and his bindings had been removed that either of them spoke.

"Are you cold?" Dave asked. "I think my dad will pick up your things on his way home from work. You're not technically allowed to see him so I'll be running around a bit I guess."

"I'm fine," Finn mumbled. He looked around, wondering how the two of them would work. Would they be living in the same room? Would Finn have to sleep on the floor?

"We'll move into the guest room tomorrow," Dave said, "It's bigger, so there'll be room for your things. I don't really have much for you to do. I wasn't planning on claiming anyone until after college. So you'll have it pretty easy."

Finn nodded. Dave was almost too kind. He shouldn't be treating Finn as an equal, but he was and Finn couldn't help but fall to his knees, hugging Dave tight around his waist. "Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you, so much."

Dave ran his hand through Finn's hair, reveling in what he never imagined he'd be able to feel. "Shh, it's okay. Get in bed. It may only be the afternoon, but I'm sure you're tired."

Finn nodded, crawling to get to the bed and pulling the covers around him. Dave sat next to him, stroking his back until the taller boy calmed, drifting in and out of sleep. He was about to leave when he felt a tight grip on his wrist.

"Please don't leave me alone," whispered Finn. "I miss my mom."

That didn't surprise Dave at all and he lied down, wrapping Finn in his arms. "Don't worry, I won't ever leave you alone."

That's how Finn fell asleep. Wrapped up in his Dom's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Ideas

Unfortunately, the universe decided it didn't like Finn too much and David's dad got a promotion. A promotion that meant they all had to move to Columbus immediately. It happened two months in and Finn spent a few near-sleepless nights in Dave's arms, something he was quickly become accustomed to.

One good thing that came out of it was that this new office was a bit more social and they were able to find a submissive that was able to tutor Finn and would allow him to graduate a whole year earlier than normal.

Despite the accelerated learning, Finn still managed to call Kurt every week and about a month before Dave's graduation he was curled up on the couch, waiting for Dave to get back from his part time job at his Dad's office.

"I still haven't decided if I'm going to go to college, Kurt," Finn was saying. "I mean, I can. Dave wants me to, but he's leaving it up to me. I just have to go someplace that's driving distance so we don't have to spend more money on getting me a dorm."

"Well, how many colleges are within driving distance of Columbus?"

"Eighteen. But half of them are specialty schools I wouldn't go to. I don't know Kurt. He's just so good to me. He keeps saying how he can't wait until we graduate college so we can start thinking about kids and a part of me doesn't want to make him wait."

"You mean he hasn't used you, yet?"

"Of course not. He promised that he'd never use me unless I wanted it."

"Really? God I wish more Doms could be like him."

"Well, he did say that once I said yes he reserved the right to demand me whenever he wanted. And he was only half joking." Finn chuckled remembering that conversation. It had ended with him being tickled as they joked around and Finn was fairly certain that Dave had been hard by the end. Finn was hard, but he'd managed to hide it from Dave.

"Well, I wish I could be more help," said Kurt, "But I have no idea what Dave is like. All I know is that he sounds like a breeder's dream come true."

"I know. He doesn't even make me do much work around the house. Granted, it's kinda easy considering it's just the three of us. But between the studying and basic house work I don't manage to sit around a lot by myself."

"Well, I'm planning on coming up as soon as I can convince Dad to take me. I hope that's okay."

"I'm sure it will, but I'll run it by Dave just in case."

"Great." There was a holler form Kurt's end of the line and the boy sighed. "I have to go. Dad wants me to come to the garage with him. I'll talk to you later this week?"

"Sure thing, bro," smiled Finn, "Talk to ya then."

He hung up, stretching a bit just as Dave came through the front door. Finn remained on the couch a few minutes, watching as Dave stripped off his sports coat and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt. When Dave turned his back to drop his shoes on the mat next to the door, an idea came to Finn, and he was more surprised by his lack of nervousness the idea should induce than the idea itself.

He just needed a good time to bring it up. It turned out that later that night, as they lay in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, Finn decided to mention it.

"Hey, Dave?" Finn whispered, even though he knew Dave was still awake. He usually waited until Finn was asleep before he let himself drift off.

"Yeah, babe?"

Finn smiled at the endearment, a little surprised he'd never objected to it. "I've been thinking about colleges and stuff. Can I run an idea or two by you?"

Dave seemed to think on that for a moment before nodding. "Yeah sure, Finn. I'm listening."

"Well. I don't really know what I want to do yet. But I was thinking I could just go to the community college closest to wherever we're gonna live. Someplace I could possibly go part time."

"Why part time? You thinking of getting a part time job?"

"Eventually." Finn squirmed, still unsure of how to share the rest of his thoughts. All his ideas forgotten. "I mean, I just figured that it would be easier for me to not have to focus on so much stuff at once." Rolling over he buried his face in Dave's chest, something he only did when he was really upset or homesick. "I could watch the kid or something. So we wouldn't have to pay as much for day care or baby sitter."

It took Dave a few minutes to decipher the muffled words, but when he did he slowly coaxed Finn's chin up so he could see into the sub's eyes. "Kid?"

"Or kids," said Finn. Then his cheeks flushed, realizing what Dave was really asking. "Um, yeah. I wasn't sure if you wanted to wait until after college for me, or if you just wanted to be settled. Except, by the time you start college we should be settled. I mean, I'm assuming you're not planning on moving anytime soon after we get our own place." He was rambling, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. "And you've been so nice to me. I want to. Ya know? And I don't want to make you wear condoms or anything cause I've heard it kinda sucks and I don't want to have to wait for four years or more. So if I only go part time it'll be easier to plan around and–"

Dave put a finger over Finn's lip, stopping the boy's words and causing him to bury his head once again. Though Dave didn't let him hide for long, gently nudging his chin up.

"Okay. We don't have to wait until I'm done with college. You have a good idea."

Finn smiled, feeling relief at hearing those words. It wasn't until Dave added, "We'll talk more in the morning, but I think we should wait until we finish high school," that Finn felt the relief spread through his entire body. Maybe he wasn't quite _that_ ready.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Perfect

They did talk about it all, and the night of Dave's graduation Finn couldn't stop fidgeting. Dave let him be, waiting until they were both ready to sleep and let his dad know that he may want to spend the night out or something. Paul jumped at the chance to get out of the house, cause he had to admit, the walls in his house were not that thick.

Finally, Dave returned to his room, teeth brushed and wearing only his boxer shorts. Finn was curled up on the bed, hugging his knees to his chest, trying to control his breathing.

"We don't have to do this if you're not ready, Finn," Dave said, closing his door behind him.

Finn jumped, startled by Dave's voice. He took a deep breath before rolling onto his back, straightening out and looking directly at Dave. "I don't want to be bad for you," Finn explained. He'd gotten used to just saying what was on his mind, at least when asked. Dave had limited his TV access after the times he'd avoided answering a question. "I mean, you've never even kissed me. How do you know you'll like my body?"

Dave tilted his head, pondering how best to answer the question. Figuring the best way was to just start what they'd discussed, Dave moved over to his dresser, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out the restraints he'd told Finn he'd be using.

"There's something I never told you, Finn," he said, deciding at the last second to grab one of his old under shirts. Moving to the bed he saw Finn, waiting silently for him to continue. Sitting down he tossed the shirt at Finn and ordered, "Change into that. You can keep on your boxers."

Finn did as instructed, quickly changing into the under shirt and pulling off his pajama bottoms. Then he remained sitting, waiting earnestly for Dave to continue.

Dave just smiled, resting a hand on the boy's cheek. "I wanted to claim you since the moment I saw that red bracelet on your wrist."

Finn's eyes went wide in surprise. He never really knew that Dave had harbored any kind of feelings for him. But then… "Your proclamation. That's what you meant."

Dave chuckled. "Yes. I meant every word of it. I did not just say that because of the binding clause." Leaning forward, he shifted his hand to the back of Finn's head, holding him in place. "And I think I've waited long enough to kiss you."

Then they were kissing, Dave's lips gently prodding Finn's into an easy submission. The sub moaned, practically melting into Dave. Neither had ever kissed anyone before, so neither cared, because to them, this kiss was perfect. Finn would respond to anything, moaning, or gasping, or just generally getting goosebumps at finally being able to give Dave what he had always wanted.

Their make out session lasted quite a while, but eventually Dave started to move them to a more comfortable position. Only when Dave pulled away did Finn realize he'd been cuffed to the bed.

"Wow," he mumbled, surprised at himself for not noticing, at Dave for his speed, and at the fact that he was incredibly turned on by it all. So turned on, that the nerves he'd felt earlier were practically gone.

It helped a lot that Dave was trying to touch every inch of him with both his hands and his mouth.

"Do you really want to be mine, Finn?" Dave asked as he licked over an ab, letting his teeth graze against it slightly.

"There couldn't be anyone better," whispered Finn, arching up into his dom's touch. "You're awesome, Dave."

That pulled a smile to Dave's lips, leading him to leave a stinging bite on Finn's hip that would leave a mark. Neither of them complained though, as Finn let out a yell, nearly coming on the spot. Dave noticed and worked quickly, pulling away the boxers and wrapping a hand around Finn's engorged member. Which pulled a whimper from the restrained boy as his orgasm was denied.

"I never said you could come, babe," said Dave, voice stern with a heavy hint of arousal. "And I think I want to hear you call me master."

Biting his lip, Finn nodded. "Yes, master. Please, can I come?"

"I'm no where near being done with you yet." Giving Finn's cock one last squeeze, Dave ran his hands up the boy's chest, moving the shirt to bunch at his armpits and following its path with his tongue. He'd noticed that Finn tended to sweat slightly when he was nervous and it left a delectable, salty sheen on his tanned skin.

Finn was breathing deeply, desperately trying to keep his climax at bay, though the teeth that scraped across his nipple set him back quite a bit. He whimpered, wanting to let Dave know that he might not be able to obey his unspoken order, but couldn't find his voice.

"You're too close, aren't you?" Dave whispered, his face half buried in Finn's shirt as he licked at his collarbone.

Finn could only nod, but gasped as Dave bit into his skin. "Yes, Master," he groaned out. He could feel Dave smile and returned it when the boy pulled away, taking off his own shirt. "Why…" Finn swallowed, staring at his master's broad chest and tried again. "Why did you have me change my shirt?"

Dave's smile widened and he pulled said shirt back down over Finn's chest. "Because I wanted to do this." Then, starting at the collar, Dave took the fabric in his hands pulled, tearing the shirt all the way down in one swift movement.

Eyes wide, Finn stared at the working muscle's in Dave's arms and chest. "Please, Master," he whimpered, too close.

The nod that Dave gave him was almost unnoticeable and Finn was certain that it was the gentle hand on cock that really gave him permission. Hips jerking, he threw his head back and came, spurting into Dave's hand. He had never come in front of anybody before, but he had tried to watch himself in a mirror once and he thought he'd looked a little weird, like he was in pain, so when he came back down from his high he looked back at Dave, afraid of what he might see. He wasn't expecting the look of complete adoration on his dom's face.

"Beautiful," Dave breathed, reaching out his clean hand to cradle Finn's cheek. After a moment of just staring, his look turned more lustful and he moved away, wiping his hand on a towel and moving to the side table drawer to get the lube. "I like that you asked for permission," he said, as if they were having a regular conversation. "I know you would have come whether I said yes or no, but I still liked it. I want you to do that from now on." He turned back, his look stern, "Even when you masturbate. You call me, and ask me."

Swallowing, Finn nodded. "Yes, Master," he whispered.

Before Dave got back on the bed, he quickly removed his boxers as well as Finn's, and noticed that the boy was already getting hard again. Chuckling, he gave it a fleeting kiss as he moved between Finn's legs, already popping the cap on the lube.

"I'll go as slow as I can," he reminded Finn, "But do you remember how to get out of the cuffs if it gets to be too much?"

"I won't need to do it," Finn replied.

Dave stopped spreading the lube on his cock and gave Finn a stern look. "Do you remember?"

"Y-yes, master," he said quickly, realizing that Dave had been asking for his safety, not just to fill the silence.

With a nod, Dave reached above Finn and loosened the ropes attached to his cuffs just enough to turn him over onto his stomach. "This will be easier for you like this," Dave said, kissing the back of Finn's neck. "Next time I want to be able to watch your face."

Finn nodded and would have spoken his agreement but the lube slicked finger sliding over his ass silenced him. After that first touch Finn focused on relaxing completely, knowing that Dave would want to prepare him as fast as possible. And it barely felt like two breaths later, even if it was actually a few minutes, when he could feel Dave pressing in with a third finger.

Dave worked silently, his fingers gliding in and out for a few more minutes before Finn felt him withdraw and made himself take a slow, deep breath as he felt the blunt tip of Dave's cock. The boy went slow, following through on his promise, but already Finn wanted more. He tried to say so, but every time he opened his mouth a gasp would come out. Then, after what felt like hours, Dave was finally, _finally_ , seated all the way in Finn's ass.

Snaking his hand under Finn, Dave lifted him off the bed slightly, changing his angle and he slid in a tiny bit more. "Tell me how it feels," he said, voice tight as he clearly held himself still.

"Full," Finn gasped. He tried to move so that he could push back, but with his arms pulled above his head he couldn't get enough power. "More," he finally groaned, just wiggling his hips from side to side, "I need more, master."

With a growl, Dave pulled out and pushed back in. He wasn't slow, but he still managed a gentleness that drove up Finn's arousal a couple notches. As each thrust picked up speed the gentleness started to slip away, along with Dave's control, and Finn made sure to voice his approval. Not that Dave technically needed it, but he'd made Finn promise to be vocal, whether it was negative or not.

Suddenly, Dave was gone, and Finn cried out, afraid he'd changed his mind. But then he felt strong hands on his waist and he was flipped with ease.

"I can't wait," growled Dave not even bothering to adjust the tension on Finn's ropes before he slid right back into place. "I want to see your face."

Finn could only nod because he knew any agreement would come out as a groan. Though he didn't bother holding back that groan when Dave started to move again.

This time Dave didn't start slow, he picked up exactly where he left off, and even managed to move faster and harder. He was so into it, that he didn't notice he was moving them up the bed a little with every thrust. Finn was thankful for the placement of his hands because as soon as he felt the headboard brush against his knuckles he braced his hands on it and was marginally successful in keeping them far enough away to prevent his head from hitting it.

He already felt so high that he didn't notice Dave's suddenly erratic movements, nor how close he himself actually was to coming. But it only took the single word from Dave for him to obey. He was barely aware of a hand on his cock, but he was already coming. Just when he thought he was coming down off his high he felt wet heat filling him and he would swear that he came again, whether or not there was any physical evidence.

With a few extra thrusts, Dave collapsed on top of Finn, giving himself a moment of rest before he'd have to get up and clean them both. Finn didn't mind, with the weight of his dom on top of him, he felt surrounded by… well by Dave. It felt like the boy, no _man_ , had worked his way into every nook and cranny of Finn's body, inside and out.

As Dave eventually pushed himself up, carefully pulling out of Finn, the sub whimpered slightly and pulled on his cuffs and ropes. Chuckling, Dave reached up to release him and quickly found two arms around his neck trying to pull him back down. He was glad that he'd thought to leave the towels nearby, even if the wet one was cold. He quickly wiped them both clean, the otherwise strong arms too weak to really move him. Then finally he was able to lie back down, pulling the covers over them both and holding Finn close.

"Finn?" he said softly, asking without words how the boy felt.

"Perfect." The word was spoken into Dave's chest, followed by the tightening of arms around him.

Confident now that he hadn't hurt his sub, Dave was able to relax completely. He even ended up falling asleep before Finn. Though as much as Finn wanted to watch him sleep for a little while, it didn't take long for him to drift into slumber to the sound of his master's steady breathing.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - The Good and the Bad

Two months later, Finn couldn't seem to stay still. They'd just moved a few weeks ago and he'd realized the night before that he hadn't heard from Kurt since before Dave graduated. He wanted to ask Dave to call Burt because Kurt wasn't answering his cell, but Dave was so busy, working full-time at his dad's office that he didn't want to distract or worry him about his own problems.

But he was still anxious. And now, suddenly, he was nauseated. Interrupting his tutor's lecture he jumped up and ran to the bathroom, barely making it in time. After he was done, he stayed by the toilet, a shudder going through him even as he tried to sit up so his head wasn't inches away from his regurgitated breakfast and lunch.

"Are you okay, Finn?" came his tutor's voice from the bathroom door.

Finn waved a feeble hand. "Yeah, I'm fine, Jeremiah."

"Should I call, Dave?"

Sitting up, Finn took a deep breath. Other than the acrid taste of bile in his mouth he suddenly felt fine. Just like the day before. And the day before that. Gosh, come to think of it, he'd been throwing up for a week. Though he'd been able to time it so he got sick after Dave left but before Jeremiah got there or the other way around. This was the first time he hadn't been able to breathe through it or something.

Standing up, he rinsed his mouth at the sink and smiled at his tutor. "Really, I'm fine. You were saying something about history, right?"

Jeremiah gave him a suspicious look but nodded, leading the way back into the dining room where they had books and papers spread out. It wasn't until Finn was sitting again that he got a whiff of Jeremiah's new cologne and he found himself hunched over the kitchen sink. He'd already gotten rid of any food left in his stomach the first time so now he just gagged and spit bile, wincing at the burn to his throat.

"I'm calling Dave," Jeremiah said from the doorway.

Sighing, Finn nodded. He felt better again, but he made sure to give Jeremiah a wide birth as he headed to the living room. He wanted to get his degree before the fall so he could start classes at the community college the same time Dave would be going to Columbus University. But he welcomed the chance to take a break. Six days a week was incredibly tiring. Especially since the move.

He was on the couch, mindlessly flipping through channels when Dave got home. He looked really worried, but seemed to calm down a bit when he saw Finn.

"So what's going on?" he asked Jeremiah, who had cleaned up their things and was sitting as far away as possible from Finn.

"I may have called you back too soon," pouted Jeremiah, "He says he doesn't like my cologne."

Finn turned off the television, knowing Dave hated it on while they talked. "I don't hate it, but I get sick whenever I can smell it."

Dave tilted his head, staring at Finn and thinking. "Thank you for calling, Jeremiah. You can go now. I already told my dad I had an emergency so no one will be expecting me back. You can come back on Monday."

Jeremiah had been given the tutoring position in place of his usual work at the office so he stopped pouting really fast when he realized he was going to get a three day weekend. It took him less than five minutes before he was heading out the door.

Now that they were alone, Finn suddenly felt like he was in trouble.

"How long?" Dave asked, stepping up to the couch and standing in front of Finn.

"I don't know," Finn shrugged. "A week. Maybe a bit more?" He bowed his head cause he knew he should have told Dave the first day it had happened.

"And why didn't you tell me?" He crossed his arms, but otherwise he didn't look really mad.

"Because I always feel better afterward and by the time you get home I've forgotten that I got sick." He put a hand on Dave's thigh, pleading with his eyes that he wouldn't get punished, which usually was an early night (dinner then bed, no tv, no sex).

With a simple shake of his head, Dave told Finn that it would be an early night. "I'm going to make an appointment for you with the doctor." He went to the phone and made the call, confusing Finn when he didn't give an address like he normally does for a submissive doctor to make a house call.

Apparently the confused look on his face was enough for Dave to give him an explanation. "Today was the last day for the binding. You're free to see whoever, so I figured you should start to see my doctor." He looked at his watch and sighed. "Now go up to your room. I'll start on dinner. We can eat early and then you can get your rest. I'm having a little dinner party tomorrow night to celebrate your freedom."

Finn smiled a bit at that. He knew he wasn't _free_ free, but being cooped up in the house, having to make sure he only ever talked to or saw submissive people would have drove him insane if it hadn't been for Dave. It would be nice to see some new faces.

* * *

The next morning was a bit of a blur. Finn hadn't slept well. His room was simple, furnished with a bed, a nightstand, and a light. That was it, more like a closet really. But it was there for punishment. He rarely had to be in there any time during the day, his punishment usually being to sleep alone, but it always worked. He could barely sleep by himself anymore, he'd realized that if he didn't hear Dave's breathing he struggled to even stay asleep.

So he was really drowsy when he woke up to Dave's gentle knock on the door telling him to get ready to leave. The prospect of actually leaving the house was enough to get him motivated, but as soon as they were in the car he started to drift again.

He got another burst of energy when they sat in the waiting room. He talked to nearly every person there telling them completely random things. But when he and Dave were called back to an examination room, he started to droop again. Even when the doctor came in, he only really talked with Dave and it was in hushed whispers so Finn couldn't hear.

After talking with Dave, the doctor did a simple physical exam, took a blood sample, and told Finn to pee in a cup. It was over almost too fast and before he knew it they were in the car on the way back home.

It was barely noon so Dave took Finn upstairs to their room and they napped. Apparently Dave didn't sleep well either when he was by himself. Though Finn would never dare to say anything about it. It only gave him a better incentive not to do anything punishment worthy since it would punish Dave as well.

When they woke up an hour and a half later, Dave made them lunch, giving Finn some lightly buttered toast. He was about to complain a little when he got a whiff of Dave's grilled cheese and while he managed not to actually get sick, it took him longer than he wanted to get through his toast.

Then came the grocery shopping. With the extra sleep and the excitement of meeting new people Finn could not stay still. He was running back and forth for Dave, getting whatever was on the list and making three new friends each time. It took them twice as long as Dave expected, but it was still rewarding to see Finn back to a more normal version of himself. He'd always been able to make friends back before he received his designation.

Back at home Finn was once again subdued, but he had enough energy to give Dave a decent amount of help in the kitchen. Working together, the time past quickly and before they knew it the doorbell was ringing.

As Dave went to go answer the door, he saw Finn bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet and couldn't hold back his smile. "Why don't you answer it, Finn," Dave said, chuckling at the boy's excitement. "Just remember to introduce yourself without any kind of label. They all know why they're here."

And just like that, Finn was answering the door every time the bell rang. "Hi, I'm Finn," he'd say, sticking out his hand before the person could even walk in the door. Thankfully, Dave hadn't invited any people older than his own father so there was no disgust at seeing a breeder treated as nicely as a regular submissive, let alone be the "guest of honor."

Now with the party over, everyone was leaving, Finn wishing them well just as happily as he'd welcomed them in. Dave watched from a distance, listening to his friend, Blaine Anderson, go on about how easily Finn seemed to fit in with any crowd, even if he had only seen the submissive among other dominants.

"Dave?"

Pulling his eyes away from Finn as he said goodnight to Paul, Dave looked back to his best friend. "Pardon?"

Blaine just laughed. "Are you sure you want me to stay longer? It looks like you might want some time alone with your boy."

A slight frown pulled at Dave's lips at the name, but he pushed it away, Blaine meant no harm. After all, Finn was his boy, in every sense of the phrase. Shaking his head, he opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the phone ringing. "Hold on a sec," he said, knowing exactly what the call was about.

He answered, making sure his voice was strong and not shaky with excitement. "David Karofsky speaking… all the tests?... yes, thank you… I'll call in a week or so to make an appointment… thank you again, good night."

When he turned away from the phone to find two curious looks aimed in his direction. "We're pregnant," he said, a giant smile lighting up his face.

Finn went silent with shock, jaw dropping open and hands going to his stomach. It wasn't until Blaine shook Dave's hand, congratulating them both that Finn snapped out of it with a loud whoop. He kept himself from actually jumping up and down but not from throwing his arms around Dave's neck.

"Love you so much," he whispered, hiding his face below Dave's chin.

Even with a witness, Dave wouldn't even try to deny his tears of joy, he'd waited so long to hear Finn say those words to him. He wrapped the boy in his arms and did a fast circle with him ending with a deep kiss that said everything he couldn't find words to say.

He could see Blaine retrieving his keys from beside the door out of the corner of his eye but couldn't bring himself to try and get him to stay. He wanted to hang with his best friend on a Friday night, but suddenly that paled in comparison to just sitting alone with Finn.

However, the sound of the doorbell did his work for him. Even with the excitement of this new news, Finn was already at the door, opening it as Blaine stepped up to give his friend a quick hug in farewell.

Neither Dave nor Blaine was expecting the exclamation full of fear and surprise, both rushing to the door to see exactly what Finn's tall frame was hiding.

There was a boy, on his knees and leaning against the door frame, face turned down. Dave did a quick once over, taking in the decent, but old, clothes, the brown hair that could be styled in a fashionable coif. His heart started to sink when he saw the red bracelet sitting loosely around the wrist that rested next to what clearly was a baby bump.

"Kurt?" Dave whispered, slowly kneeling down. He knew that Finn was in shock, and probably terrified since he'd just admitted to his worry about the boy the night before during dinner.

At the sound of his name, Kurt's head snapped up, revealing tear streaked cheeks below a healing black eye. "Please, claim me," Kurt rasped.

Shaking his head, Dave stepped out and picked Kurt up in his arms. He felt the flinch as he touched him and headed straight for Finn's room. "Blaine, can you go to my bathroom and get a bowl of warm water and some towels? Finn, go get the biggest t-shirt you can find." As they moved about the house, Dave gently placed Kurt on the extra-large twin bed. "I'll be right back, I'm going to get some extra blankets."

When he got back, Blaine was already kneeling by the bed, gently wiping off Kurt's face with a damp towel. Dave dropped the blankets at the foot of the bed and took the shirt from Finn when he walked in. Silently, Dave ordered Finn to stay by the door since there wasn't enough room for all three with the bed pushed up against one wall.

Together, Blaine and Dave stripped Kurt down, cleaning his cuts and bruises as they were revealed, each one drawing a whimper from Finn, Kurt clearly feeling numb. Finally, stripped bare, Dave held Kurt up as Blaine pulled the large shirt over his head.

"Can you sleep?" Dave asked Kurt, getting his answer when he heard a quiet snuffle before he even had Kurt's head on the pillow.

Silently, they left the room, standing outside the closed door and not moving.

Blaine broke the quiet first. "Can I stay?"

Dave looked between his friend and Finn, knowing the sub would need extra attention that night just to fall asleep. Nodding his head he spoke in a stern voice, "You can use the extra blankets I got, but I don't want him to think that you're going to use him."

"I don't plan to," said Blaine. He took no offense at what Dave's comment implied because he knew Dave was just on edge about this whole ordeal. Their shared beliefs about the rights of breeders were a big part of why they were such good friends.

Silently, Finn moved to the master bedroom and retrieved another large shirt and handed it to Blaine. "There's an extra toothbrush in the hallway bathroom," he mumbled. Then he went into the master bath.

Sighing, Dave made sure that Blaine had everything he needed before closing the bedroom door. He was quick to strip down to his boxers and by the time he brushed his teeth Finn was curled up on the bed.

Turning off the lights, Dave lied down and pulled Finn so he lay curled up in his chest. "What's going through your head, babe? I need to know."

"I should have tried to find him sooner," Finn said. "He hadn't called since before you graduated. He wouldn't answer his cell phone when I called after we moved. I should have known something was wrong."

"I'm sure you did. But we've been busy and you've had other things on your mind." Dave ran his fingers through Finn's hair, feeling the movement calm the boy a little bit. "I know you feel like you need to protect him, but that's hard to do when you're hours away."

"You shouldn't have to worry about him tonight," Finn said, voice tight. "I'm pregnant with your kid, you should be celebrating. I'm sorry this happened to you."

Dave paused, surprised that Finn would think he felt like that. Tightening the hand in Finn's hair, he gently pulled the boy's head back to capture his gaze. "This didn't happen to me. Something happened to Kurt. And there will be plenty of time for _both_ you and me to celebrate _our_ kid." He could feel Finn trying to look away and moved his hands so they framed the sub's face. "I said 'we', Finn. Not 'me', not 'you', _we_. _We_ are pregnant. I've wanted this since high school, yes, but I look forward to caring about my children with you by my side. And there will be plenty of time for that after we help Kurt." He could see that there was still a little doubt in Finn's eyes, but watched it fade as he held his gaze. "Understand?"

"Y-yes," Finn stuttered. Then he closed his eyes to try and stop the tears.

His attempt was unsuccessful, but Dave was quick to kiss the tears away, keeping his touch gentle and comforting. It was a few more minutes before Finn was calm again and Dave thought he was about to fall asleep when he spoke in a voice quieter than a whisper.

"Will you claim him, too?"

Dave thought about it. Seriously thought about it for a few minutes because it wasn't so simple. Breeders that had children weren't allowed to keep said children if they weren't claimed. The threat of being used was too great for any kid to be safe. Too many children had been abandoned because their father had been taken to some place to be used. But Dave wasn't even sure if he'd be allowed to claim two breeders. It changed from state to state, but the "selfishness" laws were always changing to keep people on their toes.

"I don't know," he said eventually, kissing the top of Finn's head. "But he's definitely staying here. I won't let anybody hurt him."

Dave could feel more tears on his chest, but Finn only whispered "thank you" before falling into sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - The Second Rescue

Blaine stood in the doorway in the large shirt given to him. It went down to his thighs, almost as long as his boxers. But he didn't care about that. Right now he was worried about the fragile looking breeder in a bed that should have been just the right size but looked way too big. He'd heard Dave call him Kurt and he tested the name on his tongue.

"Kurt… I like it," he said. Moving into the room he reached for the extra blankets at the foot of the bed, still not sure where he wanted to sleep. He probably _should_ sleep on the couch, but a part of him didn't want to leave Kurt all by himself.

"You like what?" came a small voice and Blaine froze, guilt rushing through him.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I just needed the blankets for the couch." Blaine would not sleep in the same room uninvited.

"You didn't wake me. You've been staring at me for at least five minutes. What do you like?"

Blaine couldn't see any movement and there wasn't even enough light to find Kurt's eyes by. "I like your name."

The soft 'oh' sounded so surprised. "You don't have to sleep on the couch," the words sounded nervous, "I'm not used to sleeping alone."

"Are you sure?" Blaine took a step towards the voice, not able to resist it.

"The breeders' shelter didn't have enough beds for each of us to have our own. I almost always had a bed mate. Sometimes two."

Then suddenly there was movement and Blaine realized that Kurt was making room for him. He almost pulled back the blanket before he lied on top of it. Kurt may be used to sharing a bed with other breeders, but he must surely have some reservations about a Dom. He'd be fine with the extra blankets Dave had gotten.

"You were the one cleaning me," whispered Kurt, making Blaine jump when he realized the boy was much closer than he'd thought. "You have gentle hands for a Dom."

Blaine could feel himself blush. "Not all Dom's are rough. I'm sorry that you feel like they are."

"I know my Dad is gentle. And Dave. I had a few friends at school who were gentle." Kurt was even closer now and Blaine was sure he could feel a hand close to his. "I'm not surprised by you. Just curious. Who are you?"

"I'm Blaine. I work with Dave at his dad's office."

Suddenly, he could feel a head trying to slide under his arm and he easily, almost naturally, pulled Kurt to his chest and wrapped both arms around him.

"You make me feel safe." This time Kurt did sound surprised, but Blaine stayed quiet, letting the boy fall asleep, there would be enough talking in the morning.

* * *

Finn awoke the next morning to the feeling of Dave rubbing his back. He couldn't help but arch into the touch, drawing a chuckle from Dave. They remained in silence, wanting to remain content despite the drama of the situation outside their bedroom.

Eventually, Dave took a deep breath and spoke. "I haven't heard Kurt or Blaine moving around. Do you want to make breakfast? What's Kurt's favorite breakfast food?"

"He really likes French toast and fresh fruit," Finn said, smiling at the idea of being able to cook for his brother. He'd been learning since moving in with Dave and considered himself a decent cook. "Do we have any fruit?"

"I don't think so, but maybe he'll have some weird craving that we can fulfill. Go on and get dressed. I'm going to shower and check on our guests."

Nodding, Finn did as told and fifteen minutes later he was in the kitchen making French toast. He could hear water running as Dave showered and then he heard tiny footsteps as either Kurt or Blaine began to move around. He was quick to serve up a plate of toast with cinnamon-sugar on it just in case his brother emerged.

He was right. Kurt emerged in another old shirt, an old pair of Finn's shorts, and a belt that held it all together. It looked like he had taken a quick shower and Finn could only offer the plate of food to him, not really sure what to say. Kurt accepted it silently, sitting to eat.

Finn's cooking was interrupted when he felt Kurt's arms wrap around his waist.

"I've missed you so much, Finn. These last few months have been terrifying."

Turning around, Finn held his brother close. "I've missed you too. I feel guilty that I never tried harder to contact you."

"None of this is your fault," said Kurt, pulling away to look up at Finn, much like Dave had done the night before. "I don't even blame my dad. It's the stupid government and their laws." He dropped his face back to Finn's chest and took a deep breath. "Will Dave claim me? Will he let me stay?"

Finn wasn't sure, one way or another, so he just shrugged. "They'll be coming down in a little. We'll be talking after breakfast." When he felt Kurt nod, he slowly turned back to the stove, letting the smaller boy continue to hold on to him.

That's how Dave found them and he watched as Finn moved around as if he was used to having his brother wrapped around him. When he heard Blaine approaching he stepped up and placed a gentle kiss on Finn's cheek.

"I'll have four slices, babe. And don't forget to make some for yourself."

Finn nodded. "Kurt, did you want any more?"

Shaking his head, Kurt returned to the table where he still had some food left. But instead of finishing it, he watched Blaine move around.

The quartet ate in silence. Dave marveled at just how naturally Finn acted as host. He was quick and efficient and made sure everyone had what they needed or wanted. It took half of Dave's self-control not to sweep Finn up in his arms and declare at how wonderful of a father he would be.

However, the domesticity couldn't last and Dave suggested that they move to the living room to get more comfortable for the uncomfortable conversation ahead. Dave sat on one end of the couch, Kurt on the other, and Finn in between. Blaine sat in one of the arm chairs, the one closest to Kurt.

"My dad won the election," started Kurt, a small smile on his lips. "He spent the entire night talking about how he planned to change things for breeders. How he planned to give them rights. But we had to move to DC."

"I thought politicians would travel or something?" asked Blaine.

"We still have our house in Ohio," explained Kurt, "But Dad wanted to be able to be more present and more influential. Unfortunately, the laws concerning breeders in D.C. are very different from home." Kurt took a deep breath and reached for Finn's hand, holding on tight. "Apparently there's a problem with families 'renting' out their kids that tested as breeders. At least in the district. So they created shelters, and all registered breeders in the area are required to live there."

"What?!" Finn sounded outraged. "You weren't allowed to live with your own father?"

"If renting was a big problem," said Dave, resting a calming hand on Finn's back, "It probably sounded safer to a lot of breeders that just wanted to be safe."

Kurt nodded. "I met a few guys that had been rented before taken to a shelter. They thought they would be safe. But there's too many for the workers to really help. And every once in a while a breeder would go missing for a day or so."

"You were one of them," whispered Blaine.

There was an audible gasp when Kurt shook his head. "I got scared," he said, his voice squeezing past his tears. "I tried running back home. Back to my dad. But there's not much else to do when you have almost no money and you have a bright red _fucking_ bracelet." Kurt suddenly turned angry and pulled at his bracelet, pointlessly trying to take it off.

"Sshh," Finn tried to calm him, pulling him into a hug, but it was hard when he was fighting his own tears. "Do you think…" he left it hanging, a hand resting on Kurt's stomach.

Another shake and breath and Kurt was able to continue. "When I finally got home, Dad's publicist pointed out that while he could work with me running away, he wouldn't be able to protect us from the media if I stayed. Then he offered to take me back himself." Kurt scowled at the floor and wrapped a protective arm around himself. "I think it's his, but there was another breeder… I don't know." Sighing he shook his head and continued in a calmer tone. "I stayed for another two months before I decided to come home and I made friends with another breeder. He and I were sort of partners or something. There were some nights early on. It was out of comfort, and the need to feel safe. So it could be…"

"But it doesn't matter," said Dave, grinning just the tiniest bit, "Because the baby's yours."

"Exactly," Kurt said, looking up at Dave. "I knew that he'd be taken from me if I stayed at the shelter. So I sent Dad a letter and managed to get enough money to buy a bus ticket here." Kurt blushed and looked back at the floor. He didn't have to say it for everyone present to know that he'd been forced to "rent" himself out for any money.

"And Burt just let you come?" said Finn. "He didn't try to stop you?"

"The shelter took my phone away, so there was no way for him to reach me. And I made sure I had enough time to get out of town before he got the letter."

Almost immediately Dave left the room to call Burt.

Finn knew he'd stay within ear shot, but talk softly enough to remain unheard. "Does Burt know you're pregnant?"

"I told him in the letter. I needed him to know why I was leaving."

"We'll be sure to keep you informed, Burt. I'm sorry I didn't call sooner. I'll have him call you later." Dave walked back into the room as he ended the call, giving Kurt a hopeful smile. "He fired his publicist. And he wanted to cancel his meetings but his secretary told him not to. You can call later and talk for as long as you want."

"Thank you," whispered Kurt. He glanced up at Finn before turning his gaze to Dave. "What happens to me after today?"

Sighing, Dave sat down again. "You can stay as long as you want. I'll keep you under my protection for as long as I can."

"You don't want to claim me?"

"He can't," Blaine interjected. He'd tried to stay out of it all, but he couldn't anymore. "You can't claim more than one breeder in Ohio. It changed a few months ago."

"Oh." Kurt sagged back into the couch and sniffled, clearly trying to keep back his tears. "So I might have to give up my baby." It was a statement, not a question.

"No you won't," said Blaine. When everyone looked at him he held his chin high, refusing to back down. "I can claim you."

"Blaine, you don't even know him," said Dave, even though it sounded a little weak to his own ears.

"I don't have to know him to want to keep him safe." Blaine looked to Kurt and spoke directly to him, "I won't touch you. And I can keep anyone else from touching you too. You'll be safe with me."

"What about my kid?" Kurt asked, his hand resting protectively over his stomach.

"If we have a claiming ceremony before he's born then the government can't take him away. He'll be yours."

Kurt gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

Finn suddenly turned to Dave. "Is a claiming ceremony really a good thing for him though? I mean, at this point?"

Dave chuckled. "They're not going to do it today, babe." He pulled Finn close and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Besides, you and I were required to do a mandatory binding. It involves more… humiliation. There shouldn't be any problems for them when they do it and it will be a simple exchange of claiming declarations."

"Oh… good."

"Kurt can stay here as long as he wants," Blaine said, then he spoke to Kurt again, "I have room at my apartment for you to have your own room. And since I tend to be neat, it's ready for you to move in. And you can either move in before or after the ceremony. It's all up to you."

"Thank you, Blaine. This means a lot to me."

Blaine just smiled and nodded. Standing, he moved to shake hands with Dave. "I should go. There's things I had planned for the day and there's other things I want to look into. I'll see you on Monday, Dave. Congratulations to you and Finn. And Kurt, you can call me whenever you want. It'd be nice to talk about unimportant things."

They all exchanged more goodbyes and eventually it was just the three of them in the living room. Dave watched the two brothers before deciding to leave them be. "I've got some work to do," he said, heading towards his small office. "You two can do whatever you want, but don't let yourself get behind on homework, Finn. Okay?"

"Sure," said Finn. As soon as Dave was out of sight he reached for the remote and tried to find something to watch that he knew Kurt liked, but could still enjoy it himself. He eventually settled on 'Phineas & Ferb' since they'd bonded over it in the past.

They hadn't even gotten to the "Where's Perry?" line yet when Kurt spoke.

"What were the congratulations for?"

There was no stopping the smile spreading his lips and he let the joy he'd felt last night wash over him again. "You're not the only one who's pregnant."

There was a high pitched squeal and then Finn found himself wrapped in Kurt's arms. "Finn, that's amazing! Do you know how far along?"

Finn shook his head. "We just found out yesterday. But I've been having morning sickness for almost two weeks." He shrugged, "I guess that's about how long it's been."

Kurt grinned. "We'll be able to raise them together. They'll be cousins."

"Maybe we can do some parenting research together," grinned Finn. "I'm kinda scared I'll end up screwing everything up like I used to do back in school."

"You'll make a great father," whispered Kurt, hugging Finn's arm and getting more comfortable to watch the cartoon. "Because you had your mom and my dad to teach you. And you have Dave to support you too."

Finn gave a proud nod. "And you'll be awesome, too. Just because you're you." He shrugged, then, and chuckled, "And I may have only met Blaine yesterday, but if he's anything like Dave then he'll be pretty cool too."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Epilogue - The Reward in the Claim

Finn stood in the kitchen and thought about the people he considered family moving around the house. Ever since that day when he was handed a bright red bracelet he had given up hope of having a happy family, watching his wife (dom or sub he hadn't cared which) grow fat with his child. He'd wanted to be able to watch his little girl stumble a bit during dance class, or his son throw a wobbling football across the yard. But he'd felt that all go up in smoke the moment he saw the color of his bracelet.

Of course, he'd come up with new dreams. Dreams of a faceless man declaring his love to him, placing a ring on his finger and a blue bracelet on his wrist. He'd thought about kids, but more in an abstract kind of way. Sure it was easy to imagine having kids when you weren't the one _literally_ having them.

Now, having worn a blue bracelet for a year and a half, he realized that, even if he didn't have everything he'd _dreamed_ about, he definitely had everything he _needed_.

Finn was just putting the roast into the oven when Dave came in with a cooing baby in his arms.

"Look how nice Daddy looks in an apron," Dave said to the child. "Don't you wish it was the only thing he was wearing?"

Despite all the flirtatious comments Dave had been making over the past year Finn still wasn't used to them. Blushing, he removed said apron and walked over, doing that hip swish thing Kurt had taught him. He knew the mixture of confidence and embarrassment would get to Dave. "You don't want to scar her before she's even a year old, Dave," he said, kissing the man's cheek before taking Samantha into his arms.

She was three months old and already seemed to be picking up on so much. She couldn't talk, but she definitely knew when her cousin was there or not. The two were inseparable, much like the television siblings they'd been named after. Finn tried to argue sometimes that they had some sort of mind link but it was usually just to get that amused chuckle out of Dave.

Dave shook his head, keeping a hand on Finn's hip and his other hand on Sam's head. "You know I love you both," he said softly.

"More and more every day," Finn smiled back.

They exchanged a kiss, far too dirty for a kid, over Sam's head drawing an annoyed coo from the girl. It was enough to pull them apart, but there was no mistaking the heat in either of their faces. As much as they suddenly wanted to be alone, they knew they had family to entertain and turned to leave the kitchen.

However, Carole, carrying a giggling Dean, stopped them. "Burt and Paul went to get beer," Carole whispered, her tone indicating that they had done no such thing. "Little Dean needed a bottle." Then she tilted her head towards the living room and put a finger to her lips.

Silently the trio and babies watched.

* * *

Kurt would have been able to tell from a mile away that he was being left alone with Blaine. Not that he minded too much, he'd fallen in love Blaine quickly and loved their alone time. He'd moved in with the man three months after meeting him, and had been claimed one month later. Kurt was pretty sure he was in love before Dean was born, but he had yet to say the words. So, for some reason, he was annoyed with this manipulation and thought his dad had figured it out and was trying to force the words out.

Blaine on the other hand either didn't care, or was oblivious to the sudden clearing of the room. Then he smiled at Kurt and it was clear that he was just happy they were alone, whether or not he knew it was intentional.

"Did you put them up to this?" Kurt asked, not being able to help himself. He may be a breeder, and have a natural inclination to submit more often than not, but he hated being manipulated.

"Put who up to what?"

Kurt relaxed a little when he realized that Blaine had no hand in this anyway. "Nothing."

"I'm kinda surprised we managed to get some alone time, though," Blaine said, sitting close with an arm over the back of the couch.

Taking the movement as an invitation, like usual, Kurt easily fit himself under that arm and felt himself relax more as Blaine dropped it to his shoulders and pulled him close. "Well, I don't know how long it'll last. I don't think Dean was as hungry as he let on." He kept himself from stating how they were obviously being listened to if not watched.

"I don't care," said Blaine. "I'm tired of walking on egg shells around your family. I know I said I'd never touch you without your consent, but we've grown close and it hurts to have to stay away."

"Then don't," Kurt whispered. He glanced up, his position making it hard to hold Blaine's gaze, but managed it for long enough to convey his message. "I'll deal with my family if I have to. But I never once wanted you to not touch me."

Blaine took a deep breath. "I guess a part of me always knew that."

"I know. You were always good at doing what you wanted but could tell when I wanted you to stop."

"Except for that one night." Blaine sounded so disgusted with himself that Kurt couldn't keep his feelings to himself any longer.

"Well I didn't want you to stop. I loved that night," Kurt whispered. He knew what he wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to look Blaine in the face. "I love you, Blaine. I have for a while."

Blaine's hand flexed before he slowly turned Kurt onto his back, lying across his lap. "Say it again?"

This time it came easily and Kurt could feel the smile on his own face growing to mirror the smile on Blaine's. "I love you."

A hand gently brushed his hair off his forehead and lips followed the fingers' path. "I love you, Kurt."

Kurt reached up, taking Blaine's hand and playing with it a little. "About that night, though…" he could feel his smile fading a little, but it wouldn't completely go away, not with the way Blaine was staring at him. "I know it was only once, but…" Kurt stopped, not really sure how to word it, no matter how simple it sounded in his head.

"What is it?" Blaine asked. He barely sounded nervous, but Kurt could see it in his eyes.

Taking a deep breath he took the easy way out and didn't say anything. Instead, he took Blaine's hand that he'd been playing with and carefully flattened it on his own stomach. Kurt could feel the hand flex, but he didn't look away from Blaine's face. He could see every single emotion, confusion, dawning, hope, fear, excitement, it was all there for Kurt to see.

"Really? After just one night? Are you sure? How did you manage to see a doctor?"

The barrage of questions took Kurt off guard and he started to laugh which managed to catch Blaine's attention to quiet him and wait for actual answers. Calming down himself, Kurt answered, ticking them off on his fingers. "Yes. Yes. Yes. And I didn't, but I've seen some signs like the first time."

Blaine just laughed in amazement and buried his face in Kurt's neck. When Kurt felt tears, he wrapped his arms around him and waited for his breathing to calm and indicate that he'd regained control. Pulling away, Blaine wiped his cheeks and took a deep breath. "I haven't been this happy since the first time I held Dean."

That nearly brought Kurt to tears. He'd been worried sick that Blaine would treat Dean differently because he wasn't his blood. But Kurt had quickly observed that the baby boy was clearly Blaine's son.

It took them a few more moments to get themselves together, but eventually Kurt felt in control enough to ask, "Should we tell everyone else?"

Blaine nodded.

"You guys can come back in," Kurt called, not looking away from Blaine, who blushed slightly.

It was almost a stampede and Kurt laughed when his dad walked in from the garage with Paul, carrying what looked to be a fresh pack of beer. They'd obviously planned ahead. Carole walked straight up to him, tears in her eyes and hugged him with one arm, holding Dean in the other. Clearly she had been able to read through the lines, because nobody else seemed to know exactly what was going on.

"I'm pregnant," said Kurt, and laughed as everyone finally understood.

Carole just held Dean as everyone else hugged the lucky couple. Eventually she put him into his bouncy seat across from Samantha to let them "talk" like they usually did.

Finn was the last one to finally approach Kurt. There was a little jealousy in Finn's eyes and Kurt knew it was because Dave had suggested that Finn go on birth control. With both of them attending college classes, even if Finn was part time, having a second child in less than a year would be too much. But Finn saw the reason and had gotten over it being able to play uncle to Dean.

"Congrats, bro," Finn said. He glanced at Blaine and smiled wider, "On everything."

Kurt glanced over at Dave who was on the floor, making faces at the babies. "You too, Finn. Congratulations on everything."

~*~ The End ~*~


End file.
